Cold Mountain (movie review)

Cold Mountain is an overlong, disappointing movie with a grand story that never quite achieves its potential. At the same time, some of the supporting performances almost salvage the movie; of particular note is Renee Zelwegger's Oscar-winning performance as Ruby, the farm worker who arrives about halfway through the film and breathes life into it just as the viewer is about to give up hope. Nicole Kidman and Jude Law do excellent Southern accents in their parts as lovers separated by the war, but they're only on screen together for about 10 or 15 minutes, not enough to generate any heat. Grade: B-